Shipping container



Nv. 1, 1932- w. H. LOHMANN E1' AL 1,385,456

SHIPPXNG CONTAINER Filed sept. 27. 1929 @l 'P f TORNEY /2 9 h A I Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED sTATEseP-ATENT OFFICIEL WILLIAM HENRY LOHMANNQOF yWILIYIING'LON, DELAWARE, AND GEORGE WILLIAM KAESTN ER, F IMIONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL CHEMICAL COM- *Y Y PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. YYWA CORIEORACIIONV OF NEW YORK SHIPPING CONTAINER Application led September 27, 1929. Serial No. 395,576.

ages, supports the bottle at relatively few points andthe result is that shocks due to handling aretransmitted to the contalned bottle at these points, the consequent concentration of forces resulting in frequent breakage.

laExcelsior packing and other loose type packing has been used to cushion the bottles in the container, but it is our` object toY provide a cushioningv device which is much neater and more efHcient than excelsior, mineral wool, or other loose packing. More particularly, it is an object to provide an improved package in which the container comprises a bottom support which contacts withv the bottom of the bottle in a manner more evenly to distribute transmitted forces due to the handling of the container and which automatically yields under shock to lessen the ei'ect of the same on the supported bottle.

A further object is the provision of a cover for a container adapted to hold several bottles, this cover being provided with means projecting down into the container to retain the bottles in their respective compartments.

The manner in which these objects are at` tained will appear from the description hereinafter given and the drawing forming part of this speciication.

Referring to the drawing, wherein an eX- ample of the invention is illustrated, Fig. 1 is a plan View of the interior of a bottle package; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, Fig. 3 in turn being av vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. The package comprises a receptacle 5 designed to hold ten bottles, but this number.

is arbitrary and can be increased or de- Y C'orncr blocks 14 all side'shockswhich the case may receive.

The compartments formed by the lattice Ystrips 8 and9 serve to hold the bottles in positionwithinthe receptacle but, to further'reduce movement of the bottles with consequent creased as desired. The receptacle, which may be of wood or other suitable material, is reinforced at the ends by vertical battens 6 and horizontal handles 7. The interior of the receptacle is divided into compartments forthe reception of the bottles by means of a lattice formed bylattice strips 8 running parallel to the-end of the caseand lattice strips 9 running parallel -with the side `of the case. Attached to the bot-tom of the case are longitudinal spacers 11, to which in turn are attached by means of staples 12 the selfaligning bottom strips 13. It is on these bottom strips or supports 13 that the bottles rest,

cushioned against shock. TheseV strips, being mounted loosely by means'of the staples 12 on the spacing strip 11,.'are free to turn slightly in a horizontal plane and are, furthermore, preferably hexagonalin shapeso that they will automatically adjust themselves to fit more" or less within the-concave bottoms -of the bottles.` More particularly, the shape'of the bottom strips is that of an irregular hexagon, two of the sides thereof, crossing the spacing strips, being longer than the other four. VWith bottom strips of this contour, the ends only of the hexagonal strips will contact with the Vconcave bottom of the bottles. This contactwill be made at points remote'from the spacing strips yaforementioned on which the hexagonal strips rest. It results that these ends, which project over the spacing stripsv and which clear the bot- 'tom of the receptacle by a distancey equal to the thickness of the spacing strip, will receive the, forc'eof vany impact transmitted to the bottles and will cause the bottom strip to rock on the spacing strip as a fulcrum. There is thuspprovided a yielding support for the Vbottoms of the bottles which greatly minimizesthe shocks incidental to transportation. f l

areso` placed as to lessen jarring and danger o f breakage, they cover 15 is provided with supports 16 towhich isati tached the cover spring strip 17. This strip runs the length of the receptacle and7 as Will be seen from Fig. 3, is bevelled on the sides so as to contact with both the shoulders and necksottlie-bottles 18 in position in therecepta'cle. This limits bothfsifde-Wise and vertical movement of the bottles, thus retaining them safely in their respective compartments, tibi-itl Witlio'iitf rigidity, due toy the 'resilient' .na- U ture of' the spring strip-17.

In use, the receptacle kas =`shoivn=will hold ten bottles containing acid or other liquid and resting on the bottom supportsll. VBottles of the type ordinarily used have a circular concave bottom into which the vhexaz'gonally-shaped bottom support will pro] ect 'slgightlyybeirg `further aided 4in this tendency byl its freedom to move-slightly. in la horizon- `tal y. plane by 'virtuek of being attached only by lone staple. -It will be obvious that the more .uniform contact between bottle and support thus;` providedW-ill result'ina distribution of the stresses transmitted to the'bottles,V as contrasted -vvith thei concentration of such o :forces Where contact is limited to-.a `few points 'on' thev bottom surfaces of the bottles. -Since the supports set into thek concave bot- Atoms of the bottles,V these latter Will/be prevented from' lateral lmovementl at their lower i Y endsl and -also,fcontact between support and `lbottlehwill be-more vuniform than is ordinar- -ily thecase Where the support does not contactWith-the concave surface of the bottle. .-Eurthermore, yas the supports 134 projecty on either side off the spacers 1l and 1 are fattached to these spacers-at only one point, an unbalanced force transmitted through the u'bottle Will be-received at;the ends of the 1* suvppor-tsfonly an'dwill cause the supports to rock on .the'spacerfin averticaly plane relaltively tothe-bottom loi". the receptacle. The supportroiiered to the bottles is thus a` yieldfingone -v'vhichtends greatlyto diminish the .rorcegoi` any shock transmitted to tlierecep- `vvehavei.provided is simple, ruggedand in- .veigpensive in fconstruction.

concave bottoms of the bottles and the ability of these strips to rock under stress, together With the cover spring strip tending to hold the bottles in position in the receptacle, a very 1 safe and eiiicient package is produced Where- 'in' bottles or other fragile containersl may be transported With a minimum of danger of breakage or injury.

While the preferredtorm' oi" they invention has been described about,` it Will be apparent lthat various'changes in the speciiic form shown may be made Within the scope of the ``fol1owing claim Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

"We claim:

A container for shipping a plurality of bottles comprising a rectangular casel having engaging said case and spacing stripsv to prevent displacement of said strips with respect to said case, a yieldable support for-.said bottles spaced from the rigid bottomot said case, said support permitting limitedmovement-of Athe bottles with reference to the bottom of saidcase and ayieldable spring strip carried by the cover of said case and extending parallel With one of said spacingstrips, said `member being spacedfrom said cover and engaging the shoulders of bottles positioned Within said case and resting upon said, yieldable support to. aid in'. positioning saidp botj tles in said case.

` In Witness vvhereoi .We have hereunto set our hands. Y

" "WILLl-Mv HENRY LOHMANN.

,GEORGE WILLIAM KAESTNER.

.-taele and contents. Also, the structure which p V'The cover of the receptacle is designed to i l'aid-inretaining thebottles in position in the i .i 5o.

receptacle. This effect isi-achieved by vthe pressure. oa spring stripzl'? suspended from the cover bywlmeans of'trapezoidal vertical supports 16 as 4-setViorth-above Since the spring stuipis bevelled on the sides contact- 'ngfwith' the bottlesmvhen the cover is set in place 'these bevelledsides 'contact With both the necks and the shoulders of the bottles,

- thus-tending` to, hold them-apart ,Within the containerand, alsoto-hold them down topre- -vent jumping andthe consequentpimpact of -the bottomsof the-bottles on their-supports.

-Tlielspringstrip runs Ithe-length ofthe recep- .taele-7 contacting With each bottle therein.

f Byme'ans of 'the .combination of self-align- 4ing bottom:strips-projecting:upward into the 

